My Talk With Elknut

[Swede]

Yesterday I called Elknut. Most of our conversation was not particularly note worthy. One thing that came up was, and I will share it with you. I have wondered for a long time how Paul unraveled elk talk and language. He said he studied it for many years. I thought that interesting and commented that I believe I have been living, working and hunting in the forests longer than he and it never occurred to me that elk have a language.
I have heard them bark out an alarm and run of, but it was no different to me than a dog or even a squirrel barking. I have heard bugles and cow calls , but different sounds by different elk were nothing different than the variety of sounds a dog can make. I have bugled and cow called. I knew that to be effective you have to get close. But elk having a language never occurred to me. It may seem strange but I have heard most of the sounds Paul has written and talked about. That is why when I started reading his stuff, I knew he knew what he was talking about.
I have observed many things about elk and have written what came to mind either here or in the book. Now I am wondering what others have observed that may have gone on without recognition. What have you seen or heard or otherwise observed about elk, that others can use?

[Trophyhill]

Fortunately for me I learned of Paul's stuff after my first year elk hunting in 2008. Everything I saw and heard that year was a mystery to me. Reading the PlayBook and listening to the different CDs has helped me start to unlock the elk code. I remember when I killed my first elk, a cow in 2009. I got back to my truck just in time to avoid a high country CO thunderstorm. It was the perfect time to open up the PlayBook. After reading a short section about hunting elk in a drizzling rain, I went out in a drizzling rain after the lightning passed and killed my first elk. The learning curve has been cut way down and though the toughest thing for me is reading the situation correctly on each encounter, I have recognized enough encounters to put myself among the 10% club thanks to his teachings and that of others. I haven't been picky and taken 3 cows and 2 bulls. Great job Paul and thanks for promoting our passion!

[Jaquomo]

I've learned that just when you think you've figured out a herd, they do something completely different, unpredictable, and inexplicable.

[cnelk]

I dont speak Spanish. I dont know the adjectives, adverbs, nouns or pronouns.
But there are times when I say 'cerveza por favor'
And guess what, a beer comes my way.

I dont speak a whole lot of elk either. I dont know many adjectives, adverbs, nouns or pronouns of the elk language either.
But there are times when I make a call or bugle and guess what...
An elk comes my way

[Willie makit]

Ever since I put in my Walker game ears several years ago I realized the whitetail deer I enjoy chasing "talked" to each other. While not as loud as elk they are much more vocal than just a snort or a grunt. Animals are talking all around us, we humans are just too intelligent and way too busy to listen.

If you have never watched The PBS documentary My Life as a Turkey, I highly recommend you do. It parallels much of what Paul has discovered and explains about elk, but obviously, with turkeys instead. While it's not going to put an elk on your table, it will help you to appreciate communication in nature more.

Here is a link that is working ATM


http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes ... sode/7378/

[Trophyhill]

I've learned that just when you think you've figured out a herd, they do something completely different, unpredictable, and inexplicable.

Yeah tell me about it

[twinkieman]

I am sad to say this, I had read an article about "Elknut" back in 2006, I believe, and I didn't immediately jump on the web and order the Playbook and DVD's. At the time there was so much out there about different ways to call elk, primarily by the manufacturers of elk calls, Primos, Carlton, Flextone, a lot of others. Ironically, for me, when I am teaching someone about calling turkeys, I've always said it is like talking a foreign language, you just have to understand what that gobbler or hen is saying and respond back with what they want to hear. Call me an idiot for not seeing the parallels, that I already beleived to be true. Finally I did receive the Elknut system, studied it, learned it, used it, and started killing more elk. The bottom line is Paul learnedand the elk language, and has made his knowledge available to anyone who wants to really learn it, and become better elk hunters in the process. I talk to people all the time, who say the same thing I said years ago, and my response is always the same, "Don't be a stubborn idiot like I was and waste a single elk season without arming yourself with the Elknut's knowledge that is available to you. If you learn just a little piece of it, you enter the elk woods more prepared than ever before." The ones who have listened, and learned are astounded when they hear a sound, and are able now to apply what the elk said, and respond with a better understanding of what they should say, not just an elk sound.

[>>>---WW---->]

Just one thing I want to know Swede. How did you manage to get a word in edge ways when you talked to him?!?

[Swede]

I don't speak Spanish. I don't know the adjectives, adverbs, nouns or pronouns. But there are times when I say 'cerveza por favor' and guess what, a beer comes my way.

In the little town near where I grew up there was Swede's Tavern. Brad I don't think your "cerveza por favor' would have done you any good there. As you say, we don't need to know the whole language, but we need to know some and when to say it. Another illustration that I believe fits here would be to say "cerveza por favor' to my wife, when you are thirsty. She is very fluent in Spanish, but we have never had any beer in our home, so asking for a beer, would get you nothing. Again we need to know not only the language, but what fits the situation. I believe these are the things Elknut is teaching.

Just one thing I want to know Swede. How did you manage to get a word in edge ways when you talked to him?!?

WW: I know what you mean, but I am talkative too. I just wait until he has to take a breath and launch in there. Paul does listen, but you have to jump into the conversation.

[Csrbowhunter]

My first year elk hunting was not pretty! I didn't really know that the elk were doing anything other than trying to find each other when I heard a bugle or cow call. Now after many years of watching and reading elknuts playbook I'm really confident when I go elk hunting. Thanks to paul I finally got my first bull two years ago! I shot a bull the year before that but with poor shot placement I didn't recover that bull. I sent him a email to thank him for all his help because he really helped my learning curve when it came to elk hunting!!!!
I was hunting with another guy for about 3yrs and I could never talk him in to listening to elknuts dvds and cds. He finally got pissed about me always calling in the elk and him scaring them away when he called. He started watching his dvds and I think he got a bull last year. Paul has helped so many of us and I don't mind tooting his horn for him cuz he never would.

[Toby]

I was just thinking about this the other day, what kind of a great mind it must take to put all of this together. Very impressive, and the fact that Paul willingly shares so much free information. I bet a lot of us owe some of our elk to the knowledge that he has shared.

[Fullabull]

When I first started elk hunting I was fortunate enough to be able to make elk sounds with a reed and bugle and could get elk to respond but I had no idea what they or I was saying. All I had seen to that point was all the tv stuff everyone else was watching. I remember looking for videos on the net and found Elknut's(Paul's) dvd's. I remember reading about them and decided to call Paul. I could see his passion for elk in the first minute of our conversation. He told some things about elk and I told him about some hunting forums he was not a member of yet. I then ordered his videos and learned more in a couple hours then I had in my first few years of elk hunting.

I hunt with my dad who cannot get around well so we have to hunt easy trails, but we are usually able to get elk to respond to calls in places others see and hear nothing. We usually have at least one opportunity per year which would never had happened if not for Paul's guidance. My goal is for my dad to take an elk with his bow, he has had many opportunities but either made a small mistake or was busted. I have taken two bulls trying to call for him which he gives me a hard time about but he loves it when they respond. Every year I try and get him to listen to the DVD's and read the playbook and practice calling but he usually doesn't. He may have one or two more years left so I hope I can get him one before he says he's done.

I'm 54 now and hope I can hunt as long as my dad has. When he is done my son will be out of college. I really want to get some good backcountry hunting in with him at that time. I took him for a weekend hunt and we stumbled up a herd of elk and were able hear just about every sound a bull makes when trying to get his heard away from danger. Because of Paul's information, I could tell my son what all the different sounds ment which was one of the best hunting moments of my life.

Thanks Paul... hope to meet you one day!